Cost comparison
Affordable colleges in Connecticut
CampusPin lists 30 colleges in Connecticut. The 30 below are ordered by lowest published in-state tuition, with a median of $29,353 and a median average net price of $26,452 among those reporting it. Tuition, total cost, and net price are three different numbers — the table keeps them separate.
Connecticut college costs by the numbers
- Lowest published in-state tuition
- Connecticut State Community College ($5,338)
- Median in-state tuition (30 reporting)
- $29,353
- Median net price after aid (28 reporting)
- $26,452
- Highest graduation rate
- Yale University (96%)
- Most selective
- Yale University (4% acceptance)
- Largest by enrollment
- Connecticut State Community College (33,645 students)
Connecticut colleges by published in-state tuition
Lowest published in-state tuition first. Every figure is as reported by the institution to federal data collections; blank cells are unreported values, not zeros.
| College | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition | Avg. net price | Graduation rate | Acceptance rate | Public/private | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut State Community College | $5,338 | $15,596 | $11,513 | 24% | 100% | Public | Hartford, CT |
| Charter Oak State College | $8,506 | $8,506 | $15,815 | 67% | 100% | Public | New Britain, CT |
| Holy Apostles College and Seminary | $9,580 | $9,580 | $10,117 | 79% | 100% | Private | Cromwell, CT |
| Central Connecticut State University | $13,050 | $16,550 | $16,857 | 48% | 73% | Public | New Britain, CT |
| Western Connecticut State University | $13,401 | $16,901 | $17,604 | 52% | 87% | Public | Danbury, CT |
| Southern Connecticut State University | $13,438 | $27,378 | $20,857 | 50% | 91% | Public | New Haven, CT |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | $13,928 | $17,428 | $21,067 | 58% | 83% | Public | Willimantic, CT |
| Post University | $16,327 | $16,327 | $21,634 | 25% | 100% | Private | Waterbury, CT |
| University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus | $18,130 | $40,798 | $16,403 | 65% | 88% | Public | Hartford, CT |
| University of Connecticut-Avery Point | $18,140 | $40,808 | $13,807 | 62% | 88% | Public | Groton, CT |
| University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus | $18,140 | $40,808 | $10,875 | 53% | 87% | Public | Waterbury, CT |
| University of Connecticut-Stamford | $18,150 | $40,818 | $16,798 | 57% | 83% | Public | Stamford, CT |
| University of Connecticut | $21,044 | $43,712 | $25,097 | 83% | 52% | Public | Storrs, CT |
| Goodwin University | $21,198 | $21,198 | $29,249 | 58% | 100% | Private | East Hartford, CT |
| Paier College | $26,400 | $26,400 | $30,982 | 57% | 62% | Private | Bridgeport, CT |
| Hartford International University for Religion and Peace | $32,305 | $32,305 | Not reported | Not reported | 57% | Private | Hartford, CT |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | $32,305 | $37,891 | Not reported | 93% | 22% | Public | New London, CT |
| University of Bridgeport | $35,760 | $35,760 | $27,807 | 41% | 83% | Private | Bridgeport, CT |
| Mitchell College | $40,490 | $40,490 | $30,260 | 42% | 95% | Private | New London, CT |
| Albertus Magnus College | $41,908 | $41,908 | $34,028 | 51% | 59% | Private | New Haven, CT |
| University of Saint Joseph | $47,278 | $47,278 | $27,989 | 64% | 79% | Private | West Hartford, CT |
| University of New Haven | $47,332 | $47,332 | $34,192 | 63% | 60% | Private | West Haven, CT |
| University of Hartford | $49,075 | $49,075 | $30,282 | 54% | 96% | Private | West Hartford, CT |
| Sacred Heart University | $50,404 | $50,404 | $46,174 | 73% | 65% | Private | Fairfield, CT |
| Quinnipiac University | $55,480 | $55,480 | $40,675 | 76% | 72% | Private | Hamden, CT |
| Fairfield University | $58,350 | $58,350 | $48,095 | 84% | 33% | Private | Fairfield, CT |
| Connecticut College | $67,242 | $67,242 | $36,175 | 82% | 37% | Private | New London, CT |
| Yale University | $67,250 | $67,250 | $23,777 | 96% | 4% | Private | New Haven, CT |
| Wesleyan University | $70,342 | $70,342 | $30,177 | 93% | 16% | Private | Middletown, CT |
| Trinity College | $70,770 | $70,770 | $34,832 | 84% | 29% | Private | Hartford, CT |
What the Connecticut cost data shows
- Connecticut State Community College has the lowest published in-state tuition on this page at $5,338 per year. Published tuition is the sticker price and excludes housing, food, books, and fees.
- Median published in-state tuition is $16,029 across the public colleges here and $47,305 across the private ones — a $31,276 difference at sticker price. Private colleges often discount heavily, so compare net price before ruling one out.
- Median average net price ($26,452) is lower than median published tuition ($29,353) among the colleges reporting both, which is what grant and scholarship aid does to the sticker figure.
- 28 of the 30 colleges listed report an average net price, and 29 report a graduation rate. Blank cells mean the institution has not reported that figure to the federal collections — not that the value is zero.
How this list was built
This page lists colleges CampusPin holds for Connecticut, sorted by published in-state tuition, lowest first. That sort is the only ranking applied — there is no CampusPin score, no editorial ordering, and no “#1 cheapest” claim.
Published tuition is the sticker price for instruction. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, and fees. Average net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid, reported to federal collections for a prior entering class. Net price is an average across a whole cohort and varies substantially by family income, so treat it as a comparison tool between colleges rather than a prediction of your own bill.
Figures come from the institution’s federal reporting (30 of 30 Connecticut institutions report in-state tuition). Always confirm current costs with the college’s financial aid office before making a decision.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest college in Connecticut?
- Of the 30 Connecticut colleges on this page, Connecticut State Community College in Hartford reports the lowest published in-state tuition at $5,338 per year. That is the sticker price before aid and before housing and food; the college's net price after grants may rank differently.
- Is tuition the same as the total cost of college?
- No. Published tuition covers instruction only. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, transportation, and fees. Net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid was applied, and across the 28 Connecticut colleges reporting it here the median is $26,452. Compare all three before deciding a college is or isn't affordable.
- Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in Connecticut?
- At sticker price, yes on this page: median published in-state tuition is $16,029 at the public colleges listed and $47,305 at the private ones. Private colleges typically discount more heavily through institutional grants, so the gap in net price is usually much smaller than the gap in tuition.
- Will I personally pay these amounts at a Connecticut college?
- Almost certainly not exactly. Net price varies widely by family income, and the figures here are averages across a previous entering class reported to federal collections. Use them to compare colleges against each other, then run the numbers for your own situation with the net price estimator and confirm with each financial aid office.
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Data sources & methodology
Cost, aid, and outcome figures for Connecticut colleges are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own reporting.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. Affordable Colleges in Connecticut. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/affordable-colleges/connecticut